vineri, 8 februarie 2008

Despre Fericire

11 ianuarie 2008Despre fericirehttp://abcnews.go.com/2020/Story?id=4087250&page=21. Copiii nu aduc neaparat fericirea parintilor.2. Poti sa ai o gramada de bani si sa fii nefericit.3. Nu conteaza ce faci, conteaza cu cine lucrezi.4. E important sa-ti urmezi chemarea.5. Sa te lasi "dus de val"If you can find an activity you love, you can find "flow." Conceptualized by psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi in the 1970s and commonly referred to with terms such as "in the zone," or "in the groove," flow is that transcendent state when a person becomes so engaged and focused in their passion, they lose all sense of themselves. It could come from a million different activities -- knitting, teaching, surfing, singing, speed chess, speed walking, playing an instrument, or playing solitaire.Researchers have learned that flow can also be destructive....But the most satisfying endeavors are those that benefit others.

Test Your Level of Happiness With the Subjective Happiness Quiz1.On a scale of 1 (not a very happy person) to 7 (a very happy person), in general, I consider myself 52.On a scale of 1 (less happy) to 7 (more happy), compared with most of my peers, I consider myself:63. Some people are generally very happy. They enjoy life regardless of what is going on, getting the most out of everything. To what extent does this characterization describe you? (Scala 1=not at all 7=a great deal) 44. Some people are generally not very happy. Although they are not depressed, they never seem as happy as they might be. To what extent does this characterization describe you? (1=agreat deal 7=not at all) 6To calculate your score, add up your responses to each question and divide by four. The average happiness score runs from about 4.5 to 5.5. College students tend to score lower (averaging a bit below 5) than working adults and older, retired people (who average 5.6).Scorul meu 5+6+4+6=21:4=5,25http://www2.le.ac.uk/ebulletin/news/press-releases/2000-2009/2006/07/nparticle.2006-07-28.2448323827Adrian White, an analytic social psychologist at the University’s School of Psychology, analysed data published by UNESCO, the CIA, the New Economics Foundation, the WHO, the Veenhoven Database, the Latinbarometer, the Afrobarometer, and the UNHDR, to create a global projection of subjective well-being: the first world map of happiness.Participants in the various studies were asked questions related to happiness and satisfaction with life. The meta-analysis is based on the findings of over 100 different studies around the world, which questioned 80,000 people worldwide. For this study data has also been analysed in relation to health, wealth and access to education.The 20 happiest nations in the World are:1 - Denmark2 - Switzerland3 - Austria4 - Iceland5 - The Bahamas6 - Finland7 - Sweden8 - Bhutan9 - Brunei10 - Canada11 - Ireland12 - Luxembourg13 - Costa Rica14 - Malta15 - The Netherlands16 - Antigua and Barbuda17 - Malaysia18 - New Zealand19 - Norway20 - The SeychellesOther notable results include:23 - USA35 - Germany41 - UK62 - France82 - China90 - Japan125 - India167 - RussiaThe three least happy countries were:176 - Democratic Republic of the Congo177 - Zimbabwe178 - Burundihttp://abcnews.go.com/2020/Story?id=4086092&page=2Hanging out with other Danes just may be their happiness secret. Ninety-two percent of Danes belong to some kind of social club, dancing, singing, even practicing laughing with other Danes. Get a few people together who enjoy model train building, for example, and the government will pay for it. In Denmark, even friendship is subsidized. Along with less emphasis on "stuff," and a strong social fabric, Danes also display an amazing level of trust in each other, and their governmentAsa ceva e de neimaginat in tara noastra. Nici peste o suta de ani!Spre deosebire de Danemarca, o tara toleranta, cu valori liberale, Singapore isi bazeaza fericirea pe respectarea f stricta a legilor. Locuitorii sunt fericiti pt ca se simt in siguranta intr-o tara curata, condusa cu o mana de fier de catre Lee Kwan Yew, care a luat puterea acum 40 de ani. In ce mod l-a corupt pe el puterea absoluta nu mi-e clar. Cred insa ca o asemenea situatie nu va dura dupa disparitia lui de la putere. S-a intamplat prea des in istorie ca sfarsitul unei lungi domnii sa duca la stari extrem de confuze. A se vedea Biblia unde urmasii regilor blasfemiatori care au domnit multi ani au fost "pedepsiti" pana la a saptea spita. Deci dezechilibrul urmand unei lungi domni poate dura cateva generatii.Celina Lin, a self-made millionaire and one of the nation's best-known bachelorette socialites, can tell you all about the five C's. Despite her apartment full of art, her snazzy Porsche and 300 pairs of shoes, she was the least happy person we met. "Sometimes I get unhappy if I compare," she said. "Of course someone … wealthier, having a more luxurious life, driving a bigger car, having a bigger house, having a wonderful husband who provides for her. And when I think of that, I feel, I mean honestly, I feel a tinge of jealousy."S-ar parea ca secretul fericirii, intalbit mai ales la sihastri, este sa nu-ti doresti prea multe satisfactii materiale, sa fii multumit cu ce ai tu. "Sa nu ravnesti la bunul altuia", i s-a spus lui Moise.Jennie Chua, the former CEO of the famous Raffles Hotel, says she is often happiest when having breakfast with her grandchildren, and her contentment comes knowing that they will have a secure future.Luand in consideratie cele de mai sus, despre lungile domnii, mi-e mila de ea si de nepotii ei. Sa crezi ca starea prezenta e menita sa dureze vesnic, inseamna sa-ti cladesti fericirea pe nisip."The Geography of Bliss," Eric Weiner:You have a really strong sense of community here (Ashville-SUA). And if I've learned anything from researching this book, it's that other people matter. There's no such thing as personal happiness, your happiness is part and parcel of those around you."Corect. Egoistii nu cred ca pot fi fericiti!Community — that's the key. Community is why happiness can be found along with the high taxes in Denmark, the harsh rules in Singapore and the crushing poverty in India. One study found that the people living on the streets of Calcutta are happier that those in California. The homeless in Fresno may have more access to food and shelter, but what have the "houseless" in Bombay got? They have each other.Poate de aceea primii crestini erau, in ciuda persecutiilor, mai fericiti decat cei din Evul Mediu, care au devenit ei insisi persecutorii celor ce nu gandeau la fel ca ei. Pt ca nu mai aveau incredere unii in altii se temeau ca cei diferiti le ameninta stabilitatea.***********************Se pare ca una din cheile fericirii e sa te bucuri de clipa prezenta. Poate ca sunt o fiinta complet nefericita din acest punct de vedere pt ca nu ma pot abandona cu totul in clipa prezenta, mereu astept ceva de "dincolo". Asta ajuta in momentele nefericite pt ca ma astept la ceva mai bun, dar in cele fericite ramane ceva ca un mic nor pe cer.Exemplu: Cea mai luminoasa newsletter pe care o primesc e cea de la Editor Bob. M-a incantat totdeauna pt ca e tonica si plina de ganduri pozitive. Multa vreme am crezut ca Bob e un tanar f inimos, al carui scop in viata este sa aduca lumina in sufletul abonatilor (mai ales ca felicitarile sunt free). Pt ca imi plac atat de mult le-am lasat multa vreme pe mai tarziu si abia incepand de alataieri am trecut la citirea lor, intai in ordine cronologica, incepand cu 29 martie, apoi mai pe sarite. Cu "mintea de pe scara" cred ca e vorba de o echipa de oameni f inimosi care administreaza situl 123Greetings si care redacreaza scrisorile. Nu vad cum un pusti de 20 si ceva ar fi avut timp sa creeze atatea felicitari interesante (unele din ele f complicate) si sa compuna acele scrisori avand servici si atatea actvitati in timpul lui liber. M-au pus pe ganduri si cele 2 relatari despre prima zi la gradinita si Megan, asemanatoare dar usor diferite, postate in 2 scrisori la o saptamana distanta.Exista insa o mare diferenta intre 123Greetings si NetHugs, de la care m-am dezabonat. Ideaa e aceeasi: sa lumineze sufletul prin daruire, dar NH mi se pare cam agresiva, desi e plina de muzica, flori, ingeri, peisaje mirifice.Din Feed Back Editor BobI found myself in front of the biggest and most beautiful gates in the world. all of a sudden, the gate opened and a beautiful lady I called an angel ushered me in. out of shock I did not know whether to just sit there or turn around and go. Still standing there as if I did not hear what the lady said, i heard that sweet voice of the lady saying please enter it was then that I caught myself behaving strangely. i gathered myself and went in. she gently closed the gate behind me. The whole place was full of light and i must confess it was the most beautiful place i have ever seen. We entered a room and the lady started to talk; you are welcome to heaven and this is the reception. Just then the receptionist welcomed me. We went into another room where angels were seriously working. She said; this is where requests/prayers of people are received and packed. In fact the angels working there were many. Then we went into another room and she continued, this is where the requests of people are answered and packaged nicely and sent to them. I must admit again that the angels working over there were very many. That shows that the workload was very huge. After that we went into another room where i saw only one angel sitting down doing nothing. Then the angel continued again, this is the acknowledging room. this is where people after receiving their results of their prayers send their thanks to. Then I asked then why is only one angel sitting over here doing nothing. Then she answered, there is virtually no work that is why there is only one angel here. this is because many people after having their answers to their problems forget to give thanks. It is very important to give thanks no matter what happens to you. If day breaks and you are still alive sit by a computer then you must know god loves you. give thanks. You have food to eat, clothes to wear, and roof to hide under, you are better than many people .if you are aware that a friend like me thinks about you because i love you and writes this for you to read, then you are blessed. Give thanks to God. ronaldDin Editor BobThursday, March 29, 2007I remember the early school days, people. I used to be a big choc-junky that time and as you all well know, Megan gives me serious competition there. On one occasion, we emptied the cookie box by me going on all fours in the kitchen floor ‘n’ Megan climbing on top of me to reach it. When mom queried, I turned jelly. I tried my most innocent look, but I knew she would see through me and I confessed. The awaited thrashing didn’t happen, but a hug... Her words still ring in my ears, “Bob ! I am proud of you for not telling a lie !” I understood the bigger crime is not the act but the concealment ! White lies are alright once in a while, folks !Don’t scoot so soon guys, this week is so eventful that I am gonna spend the whole week wishing my pals and I wish you too do ! Hinduism, Jainism, andIslamare too gearing for a festive season and I gotta wish Raj, my childhood chum, on Hanuman Jayanti; not to forget Wasim onMawlid al-Nabi, and of course, Prashanth Jain, on Mahavir Jayanti. You know, I wish there were more such days ! No kidding. I know there’s a heady mix of culture and faith, but the act of wishing and the fun of sharing is what keeps Bob going !Poate asta e diferenta dintre 123 si NH - ultima e prea centrata pe crestinism.Thursday, April 05, 2007When you trip and fall it could either be in the drain or on a $100 bill ! Well, that depends on your luck. And as Mrs. Bradley next-door says, “the more you wish someone heartfelt Good Luck, the more they are going to receive some !”“Hard work killed nobody, but why take a chance ?”Good Friday to me is a day of introspection, remembrance, and prayer ! And yes, it is also a day of hope ! The moral being that no matter how bleak things may seem sometimes, we can always rise from the ashes like a phoenix and forge ahead. Of course, the Psalms, Stories, and the Word of Christ are not just to read and rote; but as my ol’ man says, “I hear and I forget, I see and I remember, but I do and I understand !”Thursday, April 12, 2007Prima din relatarile despre prima zi de scoala (gradinita?)I remember my first day at school. My mom took me to kindergarten ‘n a young lady, the teacher, took me inside. New place, unsure, and insecure… I promptly started wailing ! Soon my teacher came over to ask what had happened. The naughty Bob in me peeped and I gleefully pointed at my neighbor ‘n bawled, “She beat me !” You guessed right, it was Megan ! Of course, nobody believed me even then and Meggy escaped unhurt !Thursday, April 19, 2007A doua:Well, I met Megan, my childhood chum, when I entered kindergarten. Her mom dropped her to school and she came in wailing. I by then had finished my share of sobbing and was sitting bewildered. But on seeing her wail, I picked up the cue and we both started crying rhythmically. When nobody cared for a long time, we got tired and joined the sober group of kids. I learnt the alphabets quick but the numbers slow. She was good in both, but I beat her to the words and scribbled ‘Megan’ on my notebook. Hmm… well, she got to her first sentence before I did. But instead of writing she said it aloud, “Ma’am, Bob is disturbing me !” and looked at me proudly. Of course, I got exactly two whacks on the back and my cheeks were pulled once. We became friends !We’d gathered at our geeky buddy Steve’s place for an impromptu get-together last Sunday evening. Steve taught Kate how to use the telescope to look up at the stars and showed her a picture of Earth taken from space. It was really beautiful – a glimpse of our home planet from the darkness of space ! That was when Kate went preachy and mused, “Why can’t we all live in peace ? The geographical boundaries should blur and the wars should stop while peace prevails !” Steve was in total agreement and voiced his opinion, “Wouldn’t earth be a really beautiful place then ?” When Steve looks down from the heavens and talks on worldly matters, people do tend to listen. Hmmm… on thisEarth Day, let’s take an oath to not to destroy our habitat and of course, wish and thank those who have helped to make a little difference to our lives. As Steve says, “It’s the only home we have…”Friday, April 27, 2007Do I have a choice but to remain happy ? I mean, what with Kiss Day and Graduation time preceding and succeeding (not necessarily in that order) Get Happy Week ! As Megan says, “Last time I checked, no one in the world got any problem solved by staying gloomy… just chill, pep up weirdo !” Well, she says that to Steve alright ! There’s a particular exercise recommended for all human beings… of course, it is scheduled 24x7 ! Simple… just part your lips, make the teeth obviously visible, say “Cheese !” Stay smiling and get happy ! To remind you again, here comes Get Happy Week ! Share your joy with one and all.Thursday, May 03, 2007“The toughest thing to do in life is to do nothing.” It’s alright not to have an ideal, but never to be idle. Do what you are meant to do and that to me is to Live my life and not just Exist !Wednesday, May 16, 2007Mi-ar placea sa am si eu simtul umorului din aceasta scurta povestire:Help me out here, guys ! I’m in big trouble ! It seems that those rogue pooches of mine Kong ‘n Pirate had a field day in my neighbor Mrs. Bradley’s garden ! They dug up her seeds and planted some bones instead ! And just now Kelly tipped me off that a livid Mrs. Bradley was waiting for me with a rake ! Quite some reception committee, I must say ! Kelly’s quite thrilled, she’s all for the protection of plants and seeds ‘n poor Bob doesn’t even feature on her ‘protected species’ list ! So I’ll have to fend for myself this time ! But one thing I can promise you, friends. If I do come out of this mess alive ‘n in one piece,Wednesday, May 23, 2007There was a video on CNN the other morning of a US Marine soldier who surprised his six-year-old son upon his return from Iraq. He went to his son's school and walked in to the classroom. Sensing silence around him the boy turned from his idle chatter with his peers and turned to look. Oh ! That little boy's face when he saw his Daddy !! It was priceless ! First it was uncertainty, then surprise, and then the tears….he ran to his father at record speed and pounced on him forgetting everyone around. Then he started crying with relief and joy….and the soldier with a myriad of emotions going through him was biting his lip lest he succumb to his emotions. Yes, a memorable moment. But, there still are kids home and their parents in the Front. There are kids who never would see their parents anymore. The brave men who laid down their lives for the Stars and Stripes deserve our respect and their act of bravery and valor should be spread and told and yes, remembered on their day,Memorial Day [ May 28 ] Salute !Cand am ajuns la urmatoarea scrisoare IE n-a mai gasit serverul! A doua zi am citit scrisoarea cea mai recenta si asa am ajuns la Feed Back, unde am gasit referinte la urmatoarea povestire:Friday, September 14, 2007Okay, here’s the one about Rachel my niece. Well, this incident happened when I turned 16. The little tot is a delightful prankster and I adore her. Hmm….but I do hate her when she nags nonstop about her school and friends. I didn’t give her much time those days what with me busy at work and having to spend time with Meggy and gang. Hanging out was fun and had little time for anything or anybody. It was my birthday and we had this big party at my place. Rachel was eager and all dressed up, but left alone. Of course, I had things to do, like, chattering with my buddies, dancing with the girls….Rachel jumped on my foot and reached for my hand to lead her into a dance, but I refused. You see, I had things to do. Gifts! Yes, Meggy gifted me a baseball cap; Steve, a T-shirt, and Ron…well, I don’t remember. And then came Rachel, with her hands closed. “Happy Birthday Bob” she announced and gestured me to open her hands for the gift. I went on my knees, held her hand and opened it to find….err…well, nothing. Yes. Nothing!Gave her a cold stare, “Rachel, don’t you know, when you give someone a present, there has to be something inside?”Her eyes were wet in an instant, “Oh, uncle Bob! I blew 16 kisses inside. And you can take all of them. They’re for you!”I was crushed. I put my arms around her, I didn’t know what to do, I wanted to say a lot of things, but all I could manage was, “Thank You Rachel.” The best gift I ever got.Sorry and Thank You are two things that you don’t tell two people, one, your friend and another your parents. We don’t need to spell it out, they just understand. Especially our parents;Din Feed BackThu, 13 Sep 2007after reading of your niece having blown 16 kisses, it reminded me of a sermon I heard about a man who had a son with downs syndrome who was ina mainstream school,the teacher was telling them the easter story and gave each one a matchbox to put something in representing a sign of new life, the next day the children came in with their boxes and the teacher was going through them but missed out the childs box because it was empty thinking he did not understand,at the end of the lesson he asked the teacher why this was she said well there was nothing in the box,the boy said it was the tomb the stone had rolled away!!! Icried when I heard this one.that was many years ago thank you for bringing it to my mind.Friday, September 14, 2007After all they have given memories for a life time. Don’t these memories behave in a crazy way? They leave you alone when you are in a crowd, but when you are alone they stand beside you like a crowd?!That’s your Moment of Zen, wink* wink*Saturday, September 29, 2007I write to you, so we stay in touch and that I do coz I believe I’m like a raindrop. Yes, though the raindrop maybe small, somewhere a thirsty flower awaits it to drop. Here I am to quench your thirst. Join me, let’s go shower the world with our love. Hop on for an eventful ride.Losing a loved one is not easy for sure. Uncle Frank had lost his wife and was grieving. Rachel (my niece), Debbie (my sis), and I went to his place for the weekend to stay with him through this time. When we were around, uncle Frank was pleasantly sober, but when left alone, he started brooding. When he was in one of those spells we went to check on him. He was seated by the fire place on his arm chair and softly sobbing. We just stood by, silent. There are no words for this occasion. We didn’t want to talk about the aunt or loss as it would only trigger a strong response. We just stood. Rachel slipped and sneaked out. Hmmm….good to be kids. They just can switch on and off and never need to go through all this. Sure enough, in a few minutes she was back with her favorite teddy toy. She has gone all the way to her room and dug into her backpack to find her toy. She took long baby steps to reach the arm chair. Climbed using the arms for balance and made room for herself in uncle Frank’s lap. The old man stopped sobbing and stared at Rachel. She said in a soft voice, “Uncle Frank, please keep my teddy toy with you.” Uncle, “But my little one, what’s that for?” Rachel, “Whenever I cry, mom gives me the teddy and says that she is my best friend and I wouldn’t feel alone in the night after mom has tucked me up for the night. I never cry when I have the teddy around.” And she added with a toothy grin, “See, what did I say, look at you, you’ve stopped crying.”Sure enough! Uncle Frank had stopped crying.Some sight, after a few minutes, the chair was bobbing up and down while uncle Frank was sleeping with around Rachel with the teddy resting on her lap.And I thought angels were creatures who wore white-wedding dress and carry a wand.You know, sometimes they carry teddies!Cand am citit cele de mai jos am ras cu lacrimi.Ron is a tech guy and he has stories to tell. Here’s one straight from the horse’s mouth.Ring. Ring.Ron: “Hello, MSM Tech Customer Care and I’m Ron, how can I help you?”Customer: “Hey, this is Will, I’ve bought a new computer, you know, the desktop one, but got a problem.”Ron: “Sure, Will. Tell me, what’s the problem?”Customer: Well, for starters, the computer wouldn’t start.”Ron: “Have you plugged in right and switched on the CPU?”Customer: “Of course, I plugged in, but by Gawd, they never told me about the CPU. Is that a remote one?”Ron (painfully patient): “No, Will. It’s the almost rectangular bulky one that has a few knobs or switches on it. You got to switch it on there.”Pause.Customer: “Gee, I never knew. Thanks it’s open now.” “I can hear the sound and now the screen is on. Great.”Ron: “Okay. Please open a window and you can use the internet and browse.”Customer: Sure.A big pause.Customer: Yes I did.Ron: What do you see?Customer: Lawn and my garage.Click.It was reported later, that colleagues found Ron banging on his monitor head-first for exactly 15 minutes. Non-stop.The person who made you laugh when he was around, will make you sad in his absenceFriday, October 26, 2007The happiest of friends never have the same characters, but a better understanding of their differences.Alta poveste cu Ron care m-a facut sa rad in hohote:Ah! Halloween. It reminds me of an incident that happened last year when Ron tried his hand at a Halloween prank at office. Am sure you wouldn't like to miss this one. Mr. B, our boss, has a cool head on his shoulders alright, but when you spring surprises like the way Ron does, you should've nerves of steel to keep your composure intact. He sneaked in a Jack-O-Lantern to work and it was a designer one! Yes. It had the eye sockets dug and tastefully carved out nose and mouth to make it look scary errr. . . rather funny. Anyways, our Resident Evil Ron, though technologically-challenged, did go the Einstein-way and wired the lights to the sockets, coiled a few coils, taped tight some sundry wires; plugged it in and announced "Mission Accomplished" Bush-style! Looked real neat, I should confess. Of course, we immediately cried for a "demo," but alas, none was forthcoming. Ron said it had to wait until Mr. B entered. And so came our Boss with a grand swagger breezing past and stood in his tracks on seeing the alien pumpkin, Ron errr. . . the Lantern! Momentary silence as Boss stood, staring at the creature. With the right pause and timing Ron made his move and hit the switch. The lights came on and there was an eerie glow that engulfed the room, the colors were Wow and the scene scary. . . almost. Genius Ron, I thought! And then the inevitable happened. Sure, the lights were cool, but realistically they were hot and they heated up the vegetable, the accumulated pressure releasing as it must. The sockets turned red with electric glow and the left eye turned a missile and there was eye contact with Mr. B himself! Eye contact? Yes. Literally. The left eye hit the right eye of the Boss and all hell broke loose. Pandemonium ensued and calm was restored only when we could extinguish the fire. When the dust settled, Boss stood in the middle of the remnants of half-burnt paperwork and darkened furniture facing the shivering Ron, the ex-genius. This time Mr. B's eyes were red hot without any supportive wires or coils from Ron. He thundered, "Ronnnnn, you better explain." A pregnant pause. Pin drop silence. All eyes on Ron. . . . All he did was open his mouth and the smoke came gushing, poor fellow, he has had the taste of his own fire. . . he looked a half-burnt Simpson! It had its effect. . . you guessed right, peals of laughter! Tell you what, when the Boss is happy, everything is just fine. And so it was!-------Now, the moment of Zen, it's never easy to be with your girl when she shops, almost impossible to shop the right thing for your girl, and I swear to God there isn't a guy in this world who can even think of a right present for his future mother-in-law.When heart starts listening to silence and eyes start reading thoughts then there happens a beautiful relationship. Respect it!